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Well im on the alternative rig, most anglers are like you say ronnie, spinner and slip D, i have gone back to full on Choddy, light lead with lead free leader and blatent pop up , i had a eureka moment and realised the lake is perfect for chod rig, and now im getting the odd take, plus im happy with my bait choice i think its a matter of time before i get a few out of main lake

I agree. Big waters are a case of find them, catch them. Small waters, anglers are on them all the time. You need a little time to figure it out.

I find smaller lakes harder than bigger less pressured waters. The fish tend to be more wary, more rig aware, even more bait aware, so getting ahead of both the fish and other anglers. It is so much harder getting rigs that the fish aren't 'used to', although current fashions can make things a little easier if everyone is on spinner or Ronnie rigs, and you can come up with something different. When I first went onto Brackens Pool I knew it was heavily pressured, and nobody used much bait due to the rules of no catapulting or throwing bait in, everything had to be attached to PVA. I came up with my sliding revolving ring presentation (an adaptation of something I had seen Rob Maylin write about), and used plenty of big stringers, 30 boilies at a time, and would put in as many as 20casts of stringers before my hookbait cast. The first fish I caught was in a swim that was often ignored and was 30lb.

Setting myself up for a slap here having just got 10ft 3.5lb rods, TBH i was hoping they would be on the soft side of 3.5 but they are not, i wont be keeping them any time but if i do happen to hook a carp it will be played with care, like a few have said its getting hard to get what you really would like unless willing to pay a huge price TBH i have a lovely set of 11ft 2.5lb rods that i was told "too soft" i think i will be going back to these rods

Owdo...😎👍

Just out of interest, who is this Barney guy? Maybe out of interest mate, not sure what you are on about with casting.... I had original Hutchie Horizon casting rods, supplied by Gary Bayles, good bloke in the past. They were coupled by Ryobi Project sea fishing reels, way before big pit reels, easy cast 100yds with that combo... lead on floor to increase compression... maybe another trend to reinact again lol

Just to poke my nose in.... I have been fishing for over 50 years, brought up by fishing on river mole and Thames for catching Dace, Chub, gudgeon and also bleak bashing! Very light tackle in those days, learnt how to play fish in, barbless hooks, used to be used for match fishing to improve hooking for dace. Anyway, move on... times have 'sadly' changed, pot noodle carpers seem to think fishing day ticket waters with as stated before 3.5 test curve rods, 15lb line and hauling some poor double in.... Without dought I think this causes soo much damage. I now longer fish day ticket waters, however I unforturnatly expect to see the same on my club lake soon. As for hooks, barbless really dont do more damage, only hook I remember was the Rob Maylin bent hook which was an absolute no no!

Im in a better place regarding the lake and the blanks, yes every blank session is a learning session, and i have tweaked my tactics and bait, to a point where i am getting odd half hearted takes, maybe nuisance fish but things are improving, thing is at 3 1/2 acres and heavy stock it should be a pretty easy venue, but i do enjoy being at the lake even if i dont catch

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Manufacturers and tackle brands with their own media production. It has gotten to the stage that you can't easily get 'sensible' tackle. I've been arguing the toss about it for years. Practice casting is no more as 'high test curve rods will cure the distance shortage immediately'. Years ago in the 1990's I was hitting over 100metres with 2¼lb TC rods, admittedly with 8lb line and leader, and eventually switched up to 2¾lb rods with 15lb line, line which has become standard, to get the same distance. Nazeing Central and South was a real eye opener, I needed to hit 150metres, so went to 3.25lb rods. Everything was in 12ft, I could get those distances. The shorter rods just didn't seem right, especially as I have been to casting tournaments and seen rods get longer from 12ft, to 12ft6in, 13ft even 14ft. I get a shorter rod for stalking, it makes sense, but not in a massive test curve with a tip action.

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Spot on.

I agree totally, blanking but learning is progress, knowing what you did wrong is as important as getting it right I guess - the bigger picture of understanding. I think the pressure of catching spoils it for many or they allow it to, but I'm doing this for me no one else, so I set the bar!

Hi I'm knuckles and have been carp fishing for over 40 years and love it.

I have just bought a boatman cl4 carbon with sonar and GPS, but there was no instructions with it, as anyone got a manual that could please send me some screenshots it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I can relate to this massively. It was an 80 acre nature reserve with a very low stock that did it for me. I was nowhere near ready for it and blanked for a whole season before catching one right at the end (to this day one of the best I've ever caught). What a learning curve it was. The buzz from catching that carp set me on a path that I could never go back from. There are very few blanks that wind me up. As long as I learn something (i.e. literally anything) about the lake or its inhabitants on a blank, I'm not bothered. Every now I'll have a blank session where nothing is learned and that's the only time I'll be a little peeved. Best thing for that is get back down there and bag one!

That's my point, when it comes right it does mean so much. The common went in in 2018 at 18lb, it's now over 30lb, the linear was a 2020 stocking that was double figures. Last season I did have a very good year, although a 6 fish session really made my season

I'm like Ian in this respect, if it's easy what's the point? Blanking is a natural part of the process and even if I were top rod on the venue there would still be lots of blanks going on. The only people bothered by me blanking are friends and family who think it matters, I'm perfectly happy learning in my own time and enjoying the experience. Looking back now I'd have hated to catch my target early, almost a fluke, not understanding what it means to be so fortunate - if and when my time comes it will mean more to me than 10,000 fish from easy waters. Back in my 20s we fished a fairly large water, choked with weed and only 37 Leneys stocked in the 70s, we blanked for over a year but loved the lake, learning and social elements. It took away any pressure to catch coz everyone knew the size of the challenge, we didn't really think about that or understand what we'd signed up to - we just enjoyed it. We didn't know how lucky we were looking back was a great early experience that I still draw on now.

See I don't get this. I tend to fish harder lakes with very limited time so blanking is part of the furniture. Sure it can be frustrating, but it doesn't break me and I never question my tactics (unless I see something that tells my I'm using the wrong tactics which in itself I would consider to be a result.... critical info learned innit). Ultimately, I'm not going to get the buzz I seek from easy, heavily stocked waters. If that means I have to go for longer periods without catching then so be it. I'd rather spend my one night a month doing everything in my power to find and catch something special than queuing up on a day ticket to catch a fish that comes out once a week. Again - I don't get this. In years gone I've retreated to easier waters when it looks like a blank year is on the cards but the result is always the same - catch a few doubles or twenties that mean very little to me..... feel like I've wasted precious time that could've been spent chasing the proper ones...... go back to the hard lake and stay there until I've achieved what I wanted to achieve. Basically a pointless exercise. Of course it's all personal choice but for me: the harder the task, the bigger the buzz when it's job done. That's in all walks of life imo - not just fishing.

I'm still amazed that this trend has taken off. Don't get me wrong, I've no problem with high TC rods, but for me they exist to hit distance, and for that you need length too. If you don't need to hit distance then I cannot see why anyone would choose a higher TC. It's a compromise for casting because you don't have the length, and a compromise for playing fish because the TC is too high..... worst of both worlds!

Hard lakes break your goolies mentally yes you question everything you do including even being there at all just remember to smell the flowers and enjoy the camping side which is very good for you as for gear well just enjoy the process and let things happen, if you want something posh use Klarna, Clearpay, PayPal pay in 3 etc but don’t go too mad and keep using all that for endless bundles of little things or it can bite we all have our own style or develop it, I don’t care much about test curves I just want enjoyable actions and happened to find that in and end up with nice (very old) Harrison’s which I rebuilt myself

As I said elsewhere I believe the main problem is short high test curve rods.. too much torque.. but also low stretch lines, and simply playing fish too hard, not letting them run carp should always be played calmly and gently and tricks used to stop them running for snags other than slamming the brakes on

The funny thing is that the lake I'm on gives so many difficulties; 185 carp in 45acres, with loads of natural food, so not overstocked. It is very weedy, and has plenty of birdlife, which the swans can be a right pain as it is not particularly deep. The carp aren't spread equally, the water can be devoid of fish in certain areas, and they don't show regularly. It has a pretty much East to West orientation and the east end is the shallowest, so a westerly wind doesn't push them all the way. Then we have the syndicate, I can be the only person on there for a whole week, and see absolutely nobody. I walk Sky round almost every day I am there, as it's a 2mile circuit, a slow walk so I can watch the water and look for fish. Then we have bait, the fish don't need it, but you might need to bait heavily to compete with naturals, or the hi-viz attractor bait. BUT, don't bait up on them as they are wary and will move away. I should say that this is the hardest lake I have ever fished, but you know when it comes right.

Fair play Im not really into bait making I just get excited by ideas sometime carp adore dog biscuits so there must be something in their makeup which switches them on they are high tech and very scientific serious money and research goes into petfood, I think you dumb them down a little more than what they are really about/deserve.. closely guarded secrets and good stuff.. subtle feeding triggers which are needed to get fussy or I’ll pets to eat properly carbs.. well some old fishing gurus reckon some lakes are carb deficient and high carb baits can score Its not my area The rods are out and I sadly spooked a big fish when I cast out I had no idea he was there but I have the whole night and am sitting up through all of it

My new Rod Hutchinson Sceptre 10ft 3.5lb rods arrived today lovely looking bit of kit but maybe a bit to stiff for my fishing needs, would of been better if they did them in 10ft 3lb option, will just have to see how i get on with them, google image as i have put them away